Trump: Redesigning the White House
Donald Trump unveiled a $200 million plan to build a White House ballroom

President Trump's White House makeover is "both awful and fitting," said Mona Charen in The Bulwark. Having adorned the Oval Office with golden cherubs and paved over the Rose Garden lawn to create a Mar-a-Lago-esque patio, the president unveiled a new plan last week to append "a huge, gaudy ballroom" to the East Wing. At 90,000 square feet, the white-and-gold structure will dwarf the 55,000-square-foot main building. The stately presidential residence will be "transformed into something tasteless and embarrassing," perfectly suited to a president who has been "a walking wrecking ball of law, tradition, civility, manners, and morals." Trump's plans predate his presidency, said Kevin Liptak in CNN.com. He proposed building a White House ballroom in 2010, only to be rejected by then-President Barack Obama. Now, with construction set to begin next month, the $200 million project will solidify Trump's "physical imprint on the executive mansion."
What's so terrible about that? asked The New York Sun in an editorial. There's "a long roster of previous presidential occupants who sought to spruce up the venue." Thomas Jefferson added colonnades, Teddy Roosevelt "created what we now know as the West Wing," and Franklin Delano Roosevelt added much of the East Wing four decades later. But those presidents failed to build a decent function space; the current reception room can fit only 200 people. Larger events are held in a tent on the White House lawn, and "when it rains," Trump has noted, "it's a disaster." His ballroom should seat 650 people and will be funded by the president and other donors, the administration says. Taxpayers shouldn't have to spend a cent.
That means oligarchs from the U.S. and overseas will pick up the bill, said Christopher Bonanos in Curbed, because "Trump rarely pays for anything if he can get someone else to do it." This renovation is just "one more eye-popping opportunity for wealthy people to buy access to this presidency." It's all deeply un-American, said David Gardner in The Daily Beast. The Founding Fathers "intended the government to be accountable to the people," which is why George Washington rejected French architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant's plan for a Versailles-like presidential residence and opted for a more modest design that would foster civic pride. That vision isn't shared by Trump, who wants a palace fit for a king. He is transforming the "home of the republic" into "a showpiece for the very rich and privileged—and a memorial to himself."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.
The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage rate
the explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
Crossword: September 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Lisa Cook and Trump's battle for control the US Fed
Talking Point The president's attempts to fire one of the Federal Reserve's seven governor is represents 'a stunning escalation' of his attacks on the US central bank
-
'Three Pads' Rayner: a housing hypocrite?
Talking Point As real estate moguls go, the Deputy PM is 'hardly Donald Trump'
-
Why is Trump suddenly interested in his enemies' mortgages?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the president continues targeting adversaries, he's turned to a surprising ally to provide ammunition for an emerging line of attack
-
'A symbol of the faceless corporate desire'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Truck drivers are questioning the Trump administration's English mandate
Talking Points Some have praised the rules, others are concerned they could lead to profiling
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
Trump soaks up adoration in his made-for-TV Cabinet meetings
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The president's televised sessions have become a platform for his top lieutenants to demonstrate executive flattery
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges